Thursday, February 5, 2015

Spotlight Author Ericka Santana

Turbulent
Desire Series is an erotic dark romance short novel. Deception is the first
installment of the series and it starts as a contemporary, new adult, romance
novel, then on the second book the story becomes more intense and dark.

Skylar Parker is young, sheltered, and utterly innocent. On vacation with her
family in Italy, Sky expects nothing more than fun, sun and shopping, but a
chance encounter with a gorgeous young Italian man changes her life forever.

Handsome, strong and romantic, JC is everything a girl could want. But behind
the charming accent and bad-boy image lies a dark and troubled soul. Sky could
be the answer to his prayers, but JC’s demons may be stronger than his love for
her.

With the help of her friend Madi, Sky hides her new relationship from her
overprotective mother—but she may be in over her head. Even as JC introduces
Sky to a new world of sensual pleasure, danger and tragedy start to converge.
Sky is swept away, body and soul. But secrets and misunderstandings tear them
apart, and Sky’s first love turns into her worst nightmare.

It is intended for mature readers. This book contains sexually explicit
material and is intended for adult readers only.

The second
in her series Newly Released is Obsession Vol 2

Skylar Parker is an aspiring model on the brink of international
success. She has almost everything she could want: beauty, fame, fortune, and
her two best friends. But she is haunted by her first heartbreak and the
simultaneous death of her mother. Since JC betrayed her four years ago, she has
never let herself be touched by another man.

Jean Carlo DePandi, billionaire and playboy, has turned his family’s humble
Italian vineyards into Europe’s most recognized brand of wine, but he too hides
a troubled past. He has overcome poverty and loss, but remains haunted by
memories of the innocent girl who slipped through his fingers six years ago.
His need for control dominates his life, and he’s not afraid to cross
boundaries to get what he wants.

Their paths cross again at a fashion show in Paris, where Sky’s deep mistrust
of JC clashes with her long-buried desire for him. She hopes one passionate
night will be enough to get him out of her system once and for all. She
couldn't be more wrong.

This is the second installment of the Turbulent Desire Series. It is intended
for mature readers.

A petite, a pixie cut blonde (for now) dressed in jeans and
a San Diego "Hard Rock Couture" t-shirt, Ericka Santana could pass as
a teen on her way to the mall and not the thirty-five year old woman that has
seen tough times. As I catch a glimpse of the small cross tattoo on her hand,
Ericka tells us her story.

Ericka was born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. She was only a year old when
her father died. His passing left her mother to assume the role of both
parents. Her mother worked long, extensive hours to provide for her children.
She was strict and demanded respect. She was both mother and father and often
impatient with her children. Not understanding her mother's situation, Ericka
grew to be afraid of her. But Ericka insists she had a happy childhood and
isn't looking for sympathy.

When Ericka was nine years old, she found a firecracker. And as any curious and
mischievous child would, Ericka found a way to light it. Thinking it was a
sparkler, she held the firecracker right in front of her face. The firecracker
exploded! The sound was so loud, she became dizzy. Afraid of what her mother
might do to her as punishment, Ericka kept her own secret. The vibrating sounds
of her footsteps sounded like canon booms in her head but she still kept her
secret. She would stick her head out the window of the moving car; hear the
wind whistle in one ear and not the other. But she still kept her secret. It
was a year before she saw a doctor for her hearing problems. She was finally
able to tell someone what had happened to her. The doctor discovered that her
right eardrum had completely ruptured and her left one was severely damaged.
Believing education would be easier to obtain for a slightly deaf girl in the
U.S., her mother sent her to live with her sister. Ericka enrolled in public
school and wore hearing aids throughout junior high. The hearing aids stopped
working for her by the time Ericka completed the 10th grade. Feeling out of
place and without any special needs support, she opted to drop out.

Ericka was eighteen when she became pregnant. Her passport had expired and
rather than risk getting stuck in Mexico, Ericka decided to stay in Texas. She
married her high school sweetheart, moved to Minnesota and had two more
children. Life in Minnesota was difficult on a single income and the family hit
hard times. After six years, she and her family moved back to South Texas.

We find ways of coping when life gets tough. Ericka chose to read books. She
has accumulated over two thousand digital books and has read every one. It was
through reading the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer that Ericka realized she
wanted to write. She knew she had a knack for storytelling. Able to recount a
story more than once and with the same precise detail, she started researching
what she needed to do to become a writer. Eventually she began taking notes on
the story she wanted to write. The plot and the characters started to flow.

Looking at Ericka, you would never know she is completely deaf or that she is
reading your lips. Reading her writings, all in English, you would never know
she only speaks Spanish. Ericka does not know sign language. She was never
given the opportunity so she never learned. But none of this affects her
spirit; it drives her dream.

Ericka currently works as a Sales Representative at Santana's Wigs & Hair
Extensions. She is married to her high school sweetheart Alex and along with
their three children, resides in Brownsville, Texas. She is currently working
on the next volume of her series, Turbulent Desire Series, available early
2015.